How to Be a Good Wide Receiver

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To be the best wide receiver on your (American) football team, you have to be fast and be able to catch well. Receiver is what they call a "skill position," and there's some glory that comes with it, but you have to be pretty tough to withstand the physical abuse that accompanies the position, too. That means you really have to want to play wide receiver. It's a tough job -- even a little dangerous! -- and it requires a lot of work. Here are some suggestions for improving your chances of success.

Steps

Part One of Two:Learning About the Position

Split end. A receiver on the line of scrimmage split one or more steps outside the tackle. The receiver has to be fast and strong enough to break through a jamming opponent at the line and quickly get open for a pass.

Flanker. A receiver behind the line of scrimmage split one or more steps outside the tackle. He has to break through and past opponents at the line The flanker is on the same side as the tight end, lined up just like a split end but a step or two behind the line.

Slot back. He lines up in the backfield between the split end and the tackle.

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2

Watch professional wide receivers. Learn from the pros. Watch how they move and interact with the ball so you can emulate what works for them.

Create a workout routine. To be a wide receiver you must be fast and agile. Strength is not usually as important but comes in handy when an opponent tries to tackle you.

2

Work on speed and agility.[2] For example, do several 20-yard dashes in succession. Increase your distance to 25 or 30 yards (22.9 or 27.4 m) for several repetitions. You need to be able to run hard many times with only short breaks in between. The faster you move, the more likely it is you'll be able to evade the defense.

Work on stamina. Take jogs and maintain a breathing pattern to prevent cramps.

4

Run routes: the slant, hitch, curl, hook, and post.[3] Your coach or a teammate can demonstrate each to you.

5

Practice catching on the routes. As a receiver you'll be catching the ball a lot, so practice catching as much as you can. A simple game of catch is good, but try to hook up with a good passer who can help you run routes and take good passes.[4] A good passer will lead you with the ball (that is, he'll throw to where you will be, not to where you are.)

Develop "soft" hands. In other words, provide a "cushion" for the ball as it arrives. You don't want the ball to bounce off your hands.

Look at the ball until it's safely in your hands. Looking for an opponent before you have full possession of the ball often results in an incomplete pass.

Learn trick plays. Also known as "fakes," these are designed to fool the opponent. Wide receivers are sometimes called on to appear to run a particular play but then suddenly run something else.[5] In other words, you're called upon to be a good "actor."

You're going to have to listen to the plays your coach calls and study your playbook to know your routes. After that, just practice plays over and over again with your QB to make sure the play you're running is perfect.

To avoid man coverage as a wide receiver, you have two options. One option is to work on running really fast and "burning" the defender who is trying to cover you on 1v1 or 1v2. Another option is for the QB to send you on a quick pass that will trick the cornerback or safety to run too deep and you will be open for a short pass, like curls, hooks, or slants.

Catching is an important part of being a good wide receiver and a good cornerback/safety. Cornerbacks have to be fast and agile like wide receivers but also have to be smart and strong. Practice catching, speed, agility, tackling, and reading plays.

If im 6'4, 85 kg and the fastest player on the team, should I be a TE or WR?

Community Answer

If you're fast, you should definitely be a tight end. Tight ends need to be able to play as a lineman and a receiver. You are built like a lineman but if you are fast and have good hands, you can do a tight end's other job as well.

Do I pick my own routes or does somebody tell me to run a specific route?

Community Answer

The coach and the QB will design and choose the routes. You will have to know them and be prepared to execute them all. If you're a good receiver, you may be able to let the coach/QB know if you have preferred routes.

Tips

As the ball approaches you, spread your fingers but keep them loose. The ball is not very heavy: "soft" hands will be able to control and contain the ball no matter how hard or how far it's been thrown.

Give 100% on each play. Play with confidence and don't back down. During a game the battle between the receiver and the defender is not only physical, it's mental. Keep the defender guessing about your next move, and leave him unsure of himself as the game progresses.

Use the "rocket stance" when lining up: feet apart, one farther forward than the other, body balanced, ready to push off the rear foot, and a smooth motion toward the line of scrimmage once the ball is snapped.

On the slant route the football is probably not going to come right to you but above you or in front of you. You'll have to be willing to leave your feet in such cases, which leaves you vulnerable to hard hits.

Develop the ability to catch all kinds of passes. A "bullet" pass will come in straight and hard from a short distance. That's when "soft" hands help. A long, arcing pass will arrive on a downward trajectory, and you may need to catch it while looking over your shoulder or even looking above and behind your helmet.

If you're playing tackle football, "soft" hands have to become "hard" as soon as you catch the ball. Defenders will try to hit you so hard you'll fumble the ball, or they'll simply try to "strip" the ball from you. You need to be able to hold on to the ball no matter what a defender does to you. (This, of course, doesn't apply if you're playing touch or flag football.)

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 50 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Together, they cited 7 references. This article has also been viewed 165,444 times.

Before you can become a good wide receiver, you'll need to research and understand the different wide receiver positions, like split end, flanker, and slot back. Once you have learned about these, develop a workout routine that improves your speed and agility. Doing several 20 to 30 yard dashes in a row will improve your ability to catch passes. Also practice running routes, like the slant, hitch, and curl, under your coach's guidance.